Trial of mother, uncle and third man accused of raping young girl collapses

Sonya McLean

The trial of a woman, her brother and another man accused of sexually assaulting and raping her daughter has collapsed at the Central Criminal Court.

Ms Justice Melanie Greally told the jury that “developments during the trial lead to a conclusion by me that this trial should be brought to a conclusion now and heard by a different jury on a different date”.

She told the jurors that she did not do this lightly, referring to the impact it would have on the complainant. She added that the court has a duty to make sure there is a fair trial.

“I don’t feel that this can be done on this occasion,” Ms Justice Greally said before she discharged the jury.

The three accused all have addresses in the west of the country. They can't be named for legal reasons.

The complainant's mother had pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault and not guilty to one count of rape.

It is alleged that the mother sexually assaulted the girl on nine occasions between 2000 and 2009 at the family home, on one occasion between 2012 and 2014 and on three occasions during a family holiday in 2001.

The man had pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one of oral rape on dates between 2003 and 2012, all at the same address in the west of Ireland. The court has heard he is the complainant's maternal uncle.

A second man had pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape between 2008 and 2009 at the same address. The jury has heard he was a friend of the accused woman's then partner.

The case was returned to the lists at the Central Criminal Court to have a new trial date fixed.